TIE: Batman Returns/Batman: Mask of the Phantasm/The Dark Knight- All three are full fleshed realizations of very different interpretations of Batman- Tim Burton’s German Expressionist tormented Dark Knight, the animated 1940s noir Batman who comes closest to the original source material, and Nolan’s realistic modern take on the Bat.
Batman Begins- An interesting creation that tries to bring Gotham City closer to reality but stops a few steps too short, leaving an odd in-between aesthetic. Problematic pacing brings the film’s down.
The Dark Knight Rises- A Batman movie unusually epic in scale, which, for the most part, succeeds despite some logical issues.
Batman '66- Representative of an era of Batman, long gone by. Truly not what Bill Finger and Bob Kane intended but entertaining nonetheless.
Batman '89- In retrospect, a dated attempt at the superhero that seems to be caught in the middle between a Hollywood product and a weird creation from the demented mind of Tim Burton. Jack Nicholson is far too old as the Joker. Imagine Brad Dourif.
Batman Forever- Not nearly as bad as you remember it. Here, Schumacher doesn’t give into his excesses and crafts a movie that could have been far more interesting, had major emotional subplots not been excised from the movie. That said, Tommy Lee Jones almost singlehandedly brings down the film a couple of notches.
Batman and Robin- Dreck.